Silicone-free , paraben-free healthy Curls !!

Hello my curlies !! I know I've been away for far too long. But I'm back and I'm back for good !
So yes I have been on a complete silicon-free, paraben-free hair routine for more than 3 months now and I assure you, my hair has never looked so healthy in years! So all those who are waiting eagerly for the magic potion, read on.
After years of trying different serums, hair gel and tons of harmful chemicals , it's hard to ignore the condition of your precious tresses- sheer misery. Well, it didn't occur to me until I realized my hair stopped responding to my daily products ( yup.. build-up hill ! ). So, I started checking out youtube ( as usual) and came across a potion called "Kimmaytube's home-made conditioner". While it was an interesting mixture, It definitely didn't suit my hair.It may be for you guys- so do check that out on youtube. For me, interestingly, it was few of the ingredients of the that conditioner that saved my curly locks!
Ready for magic? Read on.

The Magical Ingredients:
1. Castor Oil
2. Almond Oil
3. Pure Aloe-vera gel

The fool-proof- awesome-curl routine :

1. Co- wash hair as usual . ( My personal favourite is Herbal Essence -  Touchably Smooth)

2. Cover your hair in a micro-fiber towel for 20 minutes.

3. * Magic potion*  Add a little Almond oil in your palm, to it add a few drops of Castor oil .Rub it in your palms and start scrunching hair from bottom gradually going up.
NOTE : Do not add too much castor oil as it is thick and it WILL weigh your hair down.

4. Final touch : take a dollop of pure Aloe-vera gel and scrunch your hair as you would using your normal hair gel.

5. Important : DO NOT touch your hair for the next 3 hours ( or until it is dry)

6. Once completely dry- invert your head and massage your scalp to get rid of the gel-cast.

Voila ! Shiny-bouncy curls :)

Do try this and let me know how it turned out for you guys :) ! cheers !

Best length for Curly hair-One for all?

Throughout my life, I've always experimented with the length of my hair to find that "perfect" length which would be manageable and stylish at the same time. In pursuit of that, I've had pretty terrible haircuts at salons,mostly because they didn't know how to cut curly hair-the spring factor was apparently never a factor for the hair stylist. The days that would come after the haircut always was excruciatingly embarrassing. I had to live with  that hair for months before I'd be happy with it.
I've always wanted  that perfect "short bob" for curly hair. The last time I wore my hair short was back in 2009. I remember I went with this picture  from an Indian magazine of a model with similar hair like mine and she had a chic hair style which I craved from the moment I saw it. My mom warned me against trying it as she was aware of the fact that there aren't many salons that specialize in curly hair. Nevertheless, as stubborn as I am, I did it. The longest layer was in front, framing my face and was supposed to be shoulder length. What I got?Chin length ! Oh it was terrible! My friends back in college were shocked to see me. I left them speechless.

Chin length curly hair is anything but manageable. I thought short hair equals less effort. But that does not apply to curly hair. Though it looked good from behind,overall I was unhappy with it.

Lesson learnt. Short hair -bad idea. So I grew it a bit for a year and got another haircut. Again, mid-length hair -not a very good idea for curly hair. This is how it looked like-

So this wasn't a very good idea either. But atleast it was a bit manageable. Though my curls were a mess. Then I read various articles online that suggested growing out curly hair and leaving them long makes it easier to handle.So, I did that. I grew it out a bit more. 

The only time that I actually left my hair long (waist length) was way back in school when I was 11.My mom used to take care of my hair then. She was really patient and caring with my hair. I've never had that long hair since then. I've never really had the patience nor interest to grow it out so long. But I've finally found my perfect length- little more than shoulder length, the length  I have now. While I do find it easy to manage and style, I'd like to grow it out a little more.

You just have to experiment - a lot to find your own perfect length. I've had my huge share of them. And I've finally started to like what I have now :) . 

To Henna or not to Henna ?

I have a love-hate relationship with henna. We all love the lovely brownish-burgundy undertones it leaves on the hair. But what about after that? I'm sure there are many of you out there who have faced severe dryness of hair (much like myself !) after usage.Henna also changes the curl pattern. And it takes the hair sometime to "settle" in.

I had always been a huge fan of henna. Over the years, I had tried everything with henna- henna with eggs, with curd and even with oil. That didn't change much. While it imparted a beautiful burgundy tone to my jet-black hair, it also made my hair extremely dry and my curls lost their shape. No amount of conditioner or serum would make a difference. So, now it has been a while since I've used henna.
I still do like it very much. For those like me, who love the color and are apprehensive of the aftermath,I have just one advice- don't leave it on for more than one hour. The henna paste should not be rock solid when you wash it off. That reduces the dryness a bit.

I am yet to find a good concoction of henna. I will keep you guys updated in case I stumble upon a winner !

Best Deep conditioning Treatments at Home

Dreading that salon trip that'll burn a hole in your pocket? No time to step out ? Well, luckily for you, the best things for your hair are right there in your kitchen!No kidding.
These are tried and tested by thousands of people (including me) and the results are better than any salon you'd ever visit. What's more, they are all natural, so you can be rest assured that it'll only do your tresses good.
Here are a few I follow regularly :

1. Egg Hair Mask :
It is the best thing for your hair ! It gives your hair a healthy shine and makes it bouncy and soft.
Here is what you will need :

-2 eggs ( only egg whites)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil/ olive oil/ herbal oil
That's it. Two ingredients. And the result is something that'll keep you addicted to this hair mask. So, first separate the egg whites from the yolks.

Next, beat the egg whites to make them a bit fluffy.

Add the oil and apply this mixture to your hair. Cover your hair with a shower cap. Leave it on for 30 minutes. Wash your hair with shikakai paste.

Remember NOT to use hot water on your hair when you wash off the mask. You don't want the eggs to get cooked up there!

2. Banana Hair Mask :

Sounds weird? Well, does it matter if it's going to do your hair good?It really helps the frizz to a large extent.

So, how do we prepare it? This is what you'll need :

- one banana

-one teaspoon of honey

Start off by putting the banana into the blender to make a nice smooth paste.

Next, add the honey and mix.

Add this concoction to your hair. Leave it on for around 30 minutes. And then repeat the drill- wash it off using shikakai powder .

These are two of my favourite hair masks ! They really help. I hope you guys find it useful too.

How to preserve your curls ?

So washing your hair everyday is not a good idea. And your second day hair is a mess. Where are the curls?! Here are a few tips and tricks that have helped me :

1. The Lavender hair Spray

Nothing too fancy if you ask me. Pretty simple. Here's what you'll need :

-Spritz bottle
-Lavender essential oil (4-5 drops)
-Distilled water (100 ml )

Fill the spritz bottle with distilled water (cooled) and add 4-5 drops of Lavender essential oil and voila! Lavender Hair spray is ready!

I use Blossom Kotchhar Lavender oil as it is easily available in India and is pretty affordable- INR 170 ( around 3$ ) for 15 ml and we just use around 4-5 drops in one spritz bottle that lasts about 3 weeks or so.

So before I go to bed, I turn my hair upside down and spray it with this lavender spritz. And then I use..

2. Coconut Oil 
Yes, you heard that right. All you need is a few drops of coconut oil and dab it on the ends of your hair.I do that for two reasons. One, hair-ends are actually older hair which are more prone to damage and two, it keeps the ends moisturized.

I use Parachute coconut oil as it is easily available in India. Again, it is inexpensive here. Around INR 45 (70 cents approx) for 175 ml.

3. The Pineapple Method :

This is easy. Turn your hair upside down and tie a pony right on top of your head. Like this :

And that's it. Sleep away !

I hope you guys found these tips helpful. They really helped me. Good luck !

How often do we wash curly hair?

You've tried it all - washing your hair everyday, every other day..once in a week ! Some work really well for some people but for others like me, dry, frizzy hair is all we got ! I tried it all. I started with washing my hair everyday. The reason? Well, my curls seemed more defined and frizz-free at that time. It soon dawned on me that washing my curls everyday was ripping off the natural oils that keep the curls intact and protect the hair from frizz. And why do we need to wash our curls everyday anyway?

So,  then I ended up washing my hair every other day and now I wash my hair every three days. I think my hair is now the healthiest it has ever been. Length is finally catching up. It is clean. And I have learned ways to preserve my curls.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Conditioner Review

I have always been a big fan of Tresemme conditioners. They always work well with my curls ! So I decided to do a review of Keratin Smooth Conditioner. I like it better than Climate Control.
First Glance :

I bought this one when I went to Thailand. We don't (yet) get the 600 ml quantity here in india . I have been using this one since June.

My take on this :

 I think it's pretty economical, not very expensive in India too. I dont remember how much I bought this one for, I think around 200 THB ( 6 $ approx.). I love the way it smells ! So fruity and refreshing. I like the fact that it has a thick, creamy texture.

It really quenches the thirst of my moisture-starved hair. And what's more, it leaves it shiny and bouncy.

Pros:

1. Economical.

2. Creamy.

3.Suits my hair
4. Easily available

Cons:

1.Prolonged usage can cause a bit of buildup.

Overall rating : 5/5. I love it !

Will I be buying this again?

Of course ! I haven't seen a better product for my hair!